Wire cutting attachment for blast cleaning or peening machines



June 29, 1954 w GLADFELTER 2,682,135

WIRE CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR BLAST CLEANING OR PEENING MACHINES FiledNov. 4, 1949 2 Sheets-Sheet l 5L7 5? "a g 5a 655 Q 96 X :5? Z

o .79 INVENTOR. Q 7 m4 775 .r. GLfiDFfL TEA,

BY g7 ZW" I. GLADFELTER WIRE CUTTING ATTACHMENT FOR BLAST CLEANING ORPEENING MACHINES June 29, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1949INVENTOR. I V/L 77E IGL/VDFEL 727?;

Patented June 29, 1954 UNITED STATES ATENT OFFICE WIRE CUTTINGATTACHMENT FOR BLAST CLEANING OR PEENING MACHINES Application November4, 1949, Serial No. 125,621

7 Claims. 1

This invention relates to blast treating machines, more particularlyshot peening and blast cleaning machines, and aims generally to improvethe same.

In the prior practice of shot and grit blasting the blastant most usedhas been chilled cast iron grit or shot. Recently much blastant has beenmade by malleabilizing cast iron shot. Cast steel shot has also beenmade and used in certain plants.

Furthermore, in all blast peening and blast cleaning operations, aportion of the blasting material is broken down or consumed and has tobe replaced by addition of replenishing blastant to the system.Replenishing blastant is normally supplied in bags, and has been simplydumped into the machine or a feed hopper therefor, and in such practicea considerable part of the blastant may be spilled or otherwise wasted.In addition, failure to add blastant as required may result ininsufiicient treatment of the work, with consequent need for retreatmentor special cleaning operations resulting in economic loss.

In accordance with the present invention drawn wire is preferablyemployed as the material for the production of the blasting particles,and is preferably severed into short sections having approximately thesame length as the diameter of the wire. With so formed abrasive it isfound that upon several impacts of the slug on the work the slug assumessubstantially the shape of a round ball. With such wire-formed blastantit is also found that the blastant particles stand up under more impactsagainst the work than do those of cast steel, malleabilized abrasive, orchilled cast iron shot. The wire-formed shot is also more uniform insize, analysis and hardness. These factors, while especially importantin shot peening, are equally desirable in blast cleaning operations.

Furthermore, in accordance with the present invention a supply ofblastant stock in continuous form, for example, a roll of drawn wire, isdelivered to the blasting apparatus in its unsevered state, and is theresevered or cut to form blastant particles which are delivered to theblastant handling system as needed. To this end the invention also aimsto provide means as a part of a blasting machine to manufacture fromasupply of blast-ant stock in continuous form replenishing blastant inparticle form when the machine needs the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide in such a machineautomatic control means responsive to the absence or presence of anadequate supply of blastant in the machine, for initiating and stoppingoperation of the wire chopping or blastant particle forming means. Withsuch object attained, and the machine supplied with continuous blastantstock such as a coil or coils of wire, the machine automatically iscontinually supplied with the proper amount of blasting material.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing detailed description of a preferred embodiment illustrative ofthe invention. The invention resides in the novel features andcombinations herein disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings of such illustrative embodiment Fig. 1 is adiagrammatic side elevation of a blasting machine including theinvention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are more or less diagrammatic plan and vertical sectionalviews of a preferred form of wire cutting device;

Fig. 4 is a circuit diagram of an illustrative control circuit.

As exemplified in Fig. 1, the blasting machine may comprise a blastingchamber or housing l; means, for example a rotatable table 2, forsupporting work 3 therein; and means, exemplified by the blasting wheeli, for projecting blastant material at blastant velocity onto the work3. It may also include in its blastant handling system an abrasive binor hopper 5 for supplying abrasive to the projector 4, and a spentabrasive collector, shown as a screw conveyor 6, for delivering thespent abrasive to an abrasive elevator I of any suitable type. Theelevator i may discharge to a suitable separator 8 that separates thereusable abrasive from the fines and other detritus, and returns it, asthrough screen 9, to the abrasive hopper 5. The path from and to the bin5 may be termed the blastant or abrasive circuit.

Still referring to Fig. 1, the means for manufacturing abrasive asneeded is shown as a wire cutter or chopper l0 located to discharge intothe abrasive handling system or circuit of the machine at any convenientpoint. In the form shown this delivery of the freshly cut abrasive ismade to the foot of the elevator l as shown, as this enables thesupports H for the roll or rolls [2 of wire or abrasive stock to beconveniently located.

The wire cutter, chopper, or other stock severing mechanism may be ofany desired form, that shown herein being of the rotary cutter type. In

this illustrative form, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, the chopper comprisesa base l3 supporting a chopper wheel [4 in cooperative relation to astationary cutting edge or hardened die plate 15, over which the wire orstock It to be out into pellet lengths is fed, as by feeding means Ill8.In the illustrated form, for simplicity, a single wire supply I6 drawnfrom a single stock roll I?! is shown, but more than one wire may be fedto the cutting means simultaneously.

Suitable means is preferablyprovided toenable adjustment of the lengthof the out sections of wire, herein by providing for varying the rate offeed of the wire l6 relative tothe speed of the cutter l4. As is shownin Fig. 3, the cutter l4 resembles an ordinary conventional 8-toothedmilling machine cutter, though any'number of teeth may be used. Thiscutter I4 is supported in shaft bearings [4a and driven by a motor Mb atan approximately predetermined speed. The bottom roll 18 of thewire-feeding means l"I-l8 is supported in fixed bearing 18a and theupper feedroll I1 is supported in bearings lla adjustablyresilientlyurged toward the lower bearings lBa. Such floatingsupportaffords compensation for any irregularities in diameter of the wire,-andapplies controlled pressure for proper feeding of the wire.Interconnecting means, shown as meshing gears I|bl8b insure rotation ofthe feed rolls at the same speed when one of them is drivenbythe motor19 through variable speed drive 20, speed reducer 2!, and sprocket drive22. By this arrangement, the variable speed drive 26 may be set by itscontrol crank 20a to advance the wire [.6 over the hardened die plate !5and into the cutter M'so that the wire is fed one diameter for thepassing of each cutter tooth, or at any other desired rate. Wire ofdiameter is preferably fed {5 longitudinally per cutter'tooth; 19% wire,g g" per tooth; etc. The cut pellets of wire, preferably about equal inlength to their diameters, pass down the chute 23, in the form shown,and into the elevator boot 24 (Fig. 1) of the blastingmachine.

The means for controlling the operation of the wire cutter tomanufacture abrasive only as the same is needed by themachine, in theform shown, comprises a motor controller 25 (Fig. 3) operating inresponse to the quantity of blastant in the system, e. g., to fallingand rising of the level of abrasive in the hopper 5 (Fig. 1). As isdiagrammatically shown in Figs. 1 and 4 the controller 25 may comprise amain off-on switch 26 in one or both of thepower leads 2'1, feedingcurrent through an automatic switch '23 to the wire chopper motors 141),I9. The automatic switch 28 may be of the circuit breaker type as shownin Fig. 4, normally closed, and opened on energization of its operatingcoil 29. The power for the coil 25 may be supplied from a transformer 30connected across the. leads '2! as shown, and its circuit 31 may becontrolled by a detector 32 of any appropriate form, herein shown as alevel indicator comprising apair of prongs positioned in the abrasivehopper to be bridged by the metallic abrasive when the hopper is filledto the proper level 33 (Fig. l) A visual indicator, illustrated by theflag 34 thrown up when the level is correct and circuit 3| is energized,may be employed if desired. A circuit making rather than a circuitbreaking arrangement may be used if desired.

With the exemplifying arrangement shown, when the level 33in hopper 5drops and opens circuit 3! at 32, the switch :28 is closed andmanufacture of blastant is initiated. When sufficient blastant has beenadded to the system to again raise the level 33 in the hopper to theposition shown in Fig. 1, the circuit 3| is closed at 32 and coil 29then opens switch 28 and discontinues operation of the wire cutter. Atthe same time, if desired, the signal 34 maybe raised to indicate thepresence of an ample supply of blastant in bin 5. Further blastant levelindicators and further signals or safety devices may be employed if thisis deemed desirable.

The embodiments of the several features of the invention shown anddescribed herein are to be considered as illustrative and notrestrictive, the scope .ofthe invention being defined by the appendedclaims.

Iclaim as my invention:

1. In blast treating apparatus, in combination, a" bin for storingblastant material in particle form, blastant particle projecting means,means providing a circuit for delivering blastant particles from saidbin to said projecting means and for returning projected particles tosaid bin, means for receiving blastant stock in continuous formandfor-severing thesame into particle form and delivering the'severedparticles to said circuit, means for feeding blastant stock incontinuous form to said severing means, and means responsive to thelevel of blastant particles in said bin for initiating and terminatingoperation of said feeding'and-severing means.

2. In blast treating apparatus, in combination, a bin for storingblastant material in particle form, blastant particle projectingmeans,.means providing a circuit for delivering blastant particles fromsaid bin to said-projecting means and for returning projected particlesto said bin, means for receiving blastant stock in continuous form andfor severing blasting particles therefrom and delivering the severedparticles'to said circuit, means for feeding'blastant stock incontinuous form to said severing means, and means responsive to thequantity of blastant particles in said bin for initiating andterminating operation of said feeding and severing means.

3. In blast treating apparatus, in combination, a bin for storingblastant material in particle form, blastant particle projecting means,a blastant handling system for delivering blastant particles from saidbin to said projecting means and for returning projected particles tosaid bin, means for receiving blastant stock in continuous form and forsevering-blasting particlestherefrom, and delivering the severedparticles to said system, means for feedingblastant stock'in continuousform to said severing means, and means responsive to the quantity ofblastant particles in said system for initiating and terminatingoperation of said feeding and severing means.

4. A blast treating machine comprising a blastant feeding and recoverysystem including a blast projector and means for detecting the presenceor absence of a predetermined quantity of blastant material in saidsystem, ablastant former comprising a wire cutter arranged to out intoparticles wire fed thereto and deliver the particles to said system,said former further comprising means for supporting-and feeding wire tosaid wire cutter, and means controlled by said detecting means forinitiating and terminating operation of said blastantformer to maintainin the system substantially the predetermined quantity of blastantmaterial.

'5. A blast treating machine comprising a .blastantfeeding and recoverysystem including-a blast projector associated with a work space, meansfor detecting the presence of a predetermined quantity of blastant insaid system, means for supporting a supply of blastant material incontinuous form and for progressively subdividing the same intoparticles and delivering the particles to said system, and meanscontrolled by said detecting means for operating said subdividing meansto form and feed blastant particles to said system to maintain thequantity of blastant therein substantially equal to said predeterminedquantity.

6. An attachment for blast treating machines comprising means forsevering blastant particles from continuous blastant stock, means fordriving said severing means and for feeding continuous stock thereto,means for delivering the severed particles of stock to the blastantcircuit of a blasting machine, means for detecting the quantity ofblastant in such blastant circuit, and 20 means controlled by saiddetecting means for controlling said driving and stock feeding means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 394,950 Badger Dec. 25, 1888 2,195,006 Gulliksen Mar. 26, 19402,297,368 Rippl et al Sept. 29, 1942 2,365,948 Gossard Dec. 26, 1944

